Arsenal:
Lehmann
Djourou  Toure Campbell (Eboue) Flamini
Ljungberg Diaby Song Reyes (Hleb 79)
Henry Adebayor (van Persie75)

Johan Djourou in for Emmanuel Eboue at right back made a lot of sense. Not only had Eboue deserved a rest, but also if Djourou's going to be our cover in that position till Kerrea Gilbert returns (assuming he's back before Lauren as anticipated) then he could do with some game-time.

The strange one was in central midfield. Abou Diaby for Cesc Fabregas was forced by the latter's foot injury (said to be very minor and no problem for Villareal in 7 days, if not West Brom on Saturday), but to also rest Gilberto giving Alexandre Song his first Premiership start was a hell of a surprise. They didn't do well as a central midfield partnership, and gave the wingers Freddie Ljungberg and Jose Antonio Reyes far too much to do as they were coming infield to help out rather a lot.

In the first 10 minutes there were a few Arsenal attacks leading to corners, Djourou getting forward well on the right, and Adebayor looked dangerous up front (Thierry Henry was having a quiet one). Pompey had one moment when Dalessandro broke up their right but he pushed it too far forward and Jens Lehmann was very alert to come out to the edge of his box and claim it.

On 13 Reyes played a great ball forward to Henry in the box. He chested it on well but Primus got in to nick it out for a corner. When that corner came in Kiely did well to pluck it off of Song's head, but perhaps Song didn't do enough to try to jump for it.

Then Reyes gave the ball away on the halfway line, making it far too easy for Gary O'Neil to nick it. But O'Neil delayed his pass just long enough for Lua Lua to drift offside and a close but correct flag was raised.

Straight up the other end on 15 minutes now, Adebayor was put in by a nice chip from Diaby. The Togalese striker dragged it down well but tried an extra touch giving Primus the chance to knock it out for a corner. This was played high and deep to Djourou, who jumped well getting above 2 defenders, but he placed the header wide.

It was end to end stuff, but with Arsenal looking more of a threat.

On 17 Benjani did really well to get a cross in from their right under close attention from Flamini, it was an excellent cross too, flying across the face of goal too far out for Lehmann to come and claim, but no-one anticipated it and it went out for a goalkick near the far corner flag.

On 18 Diaby gave the ball away in midfield but fortunately when it was played forward, Lua Lua's first touch was poor and we cleared.

Portsmouth had a good spell now. They took a free kick from their right. Benjani got his head to it but got far too much on it and put it well short of the near post when a glancing blow could have troubled Lehmann.

On 21 Lua Lua, starting with back to goal just outside our box, was muscled off the ball by 3 defenders after turning the wrong way into them instead of the other way where there was space. But we gave it straight back and it came to Lua Lua again whose shot fortunately went straight at Lehmann.

A minute later Lua Lua was put through again, right into Lehmann's penalty area, but fantastic running from Toure saw him get back and make a last ditch challenge. Lehmann was coming out but without Kolo Lua Lua would probably have had time to get an effort on goal in.

On 24 good running from Freddie down the right wing saw him coming into the box with Taylor getting tight on him.. Freddie went over, and it looked like it had to be a corner if not a foul just outside the box, but the ref Uriah Rennie gave a goal kick. Freddie moaned about it was shown the yellow card, and I thought I saw him flick 2 fingers at the crowd while Rennie was talking to him but if so, he looks to have gotten away with it so far.

On 29 Sol Campbell was coming for a high cross beyond the right post, but Primus managed to challenge and put it out for a corner. It was taken short by Henry, getting it back from Reyes and running infield where he went this way and that trying to make space before being brought down by Benjani. It was a good position for a Henry free kick but he put it over the bar at the near post.

On 31 Mendes put a nice ball into their right of our box for Lua Lua but the striker snacthed at it and skewed well wide.

Finally on 36 minutes Arsenal got the breakthrough with a superb goal from Henry. He'd originally lost the ball: receiving with back to goal to the left of the corner of the box he tried to flick it to his right (ie towards the touchline) and follow it. But the flick was too strong and a defender picked up the ball. Davis started bringing it forward but Henry was determined to make up for his error and gave chase. Davis, unaware of the danger behind him, allowed Henry to simply step between him and the ball to win it back. He played it forward to the right, creating a nice one-two with Adebayor who was in the D and played a perfect square return. One touch from Henry took the ball forward and then a wicked calm finish with his second passed the ball into the net off the right hand post. It was Henry's 9th goal in six and a half matches against Portsmouth.

On 40 Davis won the ball brilliantly off of Flamini on their right. He put over a dabgerous cross which was cleared eventually by an overhead kick from Campbell. A nice header from Adebayor started a break forward. Reyes took it up the left, and sprayed a great pass wide right for Henry, bypassing Adebayor's continued central forward run. Henry might have had a go himself but instead played a precise low square ball for Adebayor giving him as simple a chance as you could hope for, right in front of goal, but somehow he miscued and it went wide.

On 42 Dalessandro whipped in a cross from their right, finding Benjani at the near post. He should have tried to glance it to the far post with his head but instead went for the near, putting it into the side-netting with both Campbell and Lehmann probably having that pst covered anyway.

On 43 an O'Neil corner gave Stefanovic a free header 10 yards out, which he put wide of the far post. The Lehmann came out well to claim a long-range lob into Lua Lua at the edge of our box.

In injury time at the end of the first half a poor headed clearance from Sol gave, Mendes the opportunity for a long range looping shot which was easy for Lehmann.

Early in the second half Campbell had to go off to have an eyebrow patched up by glue after being cut when caught by an accidental flailing Pompey arm when heading clear.

On 54 we had a half chance. Henry could have had a go himself when put in by a good Freddie through ball to the left of the box, but he let Flamini take it on instead. Matty slipped it back to Thierry who squared to Adebayor in a central position. But Adebayor's touch was poor and a defender was able to clear. By this point it was clear that Adebayor was having easily his worst game in an Arsenal shirt, with most of his touches going wrong, and this was further confirmed a minute later when Reyes' corner from the right found him totally unmarked on the 6 yard line, and he didn't get enough of his head behind the ball, glancing it wide of the gaping net. Hard to say which of his two sitters was easier, but they were both awful misses.

On 58 Henry went on a great run down the left touchline, a lovely touch to cut inside leaving his marker chasing a shadow on down the line, then played a nice crossfield pass to Djourou who controlled it well and worked the bal infield and forward. But the move again ended with a poor touch from Adebayor.

A Reyes free kick found Campbell rising majestically above his marker beyond the far post to head back across goal. But no-one was there and we were lucky to even get a corner out of it when a defender headed it out unnecessarily. Reyes took the corner and Kiely flapped at it ineffectually, but they were able to scramble the ball clear.

Then on 65 we paid the price for the missed chances. It was a good goal but very very simple, Dalessandro whipping in a free kick from their right wing and Lua Lua pulling away from Diaby to glance his header into the net from near the penalty spot, the pace of the cross doing all the work.

Lua Lua injured his ankle landing after jumping for the goal, then stupidly went and did his back flip celebration anyway, and had to be subbed a couple of minutes later.

On 74 Routledge, who'd come on for O'Neil to try to give Flamini more trouble on the wing, ended up running at Campbell but Sol defended well, staying big in front of the winger and pushing him to the outside which allowed Lehmann to come out and claim the ball.

Finally, with 15 minutes to go, Robin van Persie came on for Adebayor. But it was too late and the space which he might have enjoyed earlier in the game when Pompey were chasing it just wasn't there any more. Now they were more concerned about defending the point which they had scrapped for.

Freddie sent a great looping long ball into the box for Henry, but a tad too strong. Kiely fumbled it in fact but Henry had stopped his run.

Then on 79 minutes Alexander Hleb came on for Reyes, going to the right wing with Freddie switching to the left.

On 87 we had a nicely worked half chance after Henry slipped the ball through got Freddie but he had to take the shot from a very narrow angle - doing quite well in fact to force Kiely to save with his feet.

Freddie took a corner from the left, producing another free header when Djourou jumped beyond the far post, placing it back across goal and a foot away from the far top corner. Not half as easy a chance as Adebayor's earlier ones but still he should have got it on target at least.

In the dying moments of the 90 minutes Campbell bashed his nose when tryign to get to a header, and ending up just head-butting Todorov's back. There was loads of blood pouring from his obviously broken nose and Emmanuel Eboue had to come on with Djourou moving into the centre.

There was 4 minutes of added time in which we pumped long balls forward and perhaps it was now that it would have been useful to have Adebayor still on the pitch. Henry lost the ball and made a bad desperate late thrash at ball to to win it back. He should have been booked for it in fact, but was lucky that the Pompey man jumped over the challenge. Perhaps not as lucky as the Pompey man was, though. Frustration showing through from the Arsenal skipper. He'd not had the best of games but neither had anyone. And I still think that the weakness of our central midfield was the root of it all.

So, 4th place is no longer in our hands. But we still have an easier run-in than Tottenham, and their visit to Highbury in 10 days time still looks likely to be totally crucial. Appropriately so, for their last trip to the stadium.